Nature News - Latest Comments in Animals engineered with pinpoint accuracy

Re: Animals engineered with pinpoint accuracy

Tommy Reagan — Wed, 03 Apr 2013 12:17:55 -0000

The prohibition against mixing diverse animals or planting 2 types of seeds together under un-controlled conditions might be practical advice 2000 years ago given the state of science at that time, simply to prevent cross pollinating of two distinctive types of grain, for instance, to keep them from losing their distinctive qualities. It could have been a prohibition against mixing sheep with goats or other species that would result in neutered and therefore non-productive offspring. Some types of animals can combine like that but they produce sterile offspring.
Regards, Tommy

Re: Animals engineered with pinpoint accuracy

Hana Johnson — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 07:47:04 -0000

Iâ&#x80&#x99m just wondering if this is store-bought soy milk or homemade. The reason why I ask is because I was under the impression that soy milk does not naturally contain calcium. I believe calcium is added to packaged soy milk. Could you confirm which brand of soy milk is being compared here?

Re: Animals engineered with pinpoint accuracy

Hana Johnson — Sat, 20 Oct 2012 07:43:23 -0000

But scientists at AgResearch in Hamilton, New Zealand, worked with molecules that interfere with messenger RNA (mRNA), which helps translate genes into proteins. They found microRNA (miRNA) in mice that targeted beta-lactoglobulin mRNA, so they inserted DNA encoding a version of this miRNA into the genomes of cow embryos. Out of 100 embryos, one calf produced beta-globulin-free milk. â&#x80&#x9cThis isnâ&#x80&#x99t a quick process,â&#x80&#x9d Stefan Wagner, a molecular biologist at AgResearch, told Nature. One problem I that RNA interference canâ&#x80&#x99t eliminate the protein completely because some mRNA slips through.

Re: Animals engineered with pinpoint accuracy

Hana Johnson — Fri, 12 Oct 2012 05:35:06 -0000

Robert MacLaren, a consultant opthalmic surgeon at the Moorfields Eye Hospital in London, and Robin Ali, a professor of human molecular genetics at UCLâ&#x80&#x99s Institute of Opthalmology, led research in which photoreceptor progenitor cells from embryonic rats were transplanted into the retinae of adult animals engineered to have non-functional photoreceptors. The cells used in the experiments are stem cells which do not retain the ability to differentiate into any cell type but are at a later, post-mitotic stage (i.e. they have stopped dividing).

Three weeks after transplantation, examination of the host retinae showed that significant numbers of the cells â&#x80&#x93 up to 3,000 in each eye â&#x80&#x93 had migrated to the appropriate layer of the host retina, where they had integrated into the retinal tissue, differentiated into photoreceptors and formed functional synapses with other cells (below). The transplanted cells partially restored the sensitivity of the mice to light, as measured by recordings of the electrical activity of the cells in response to light shone in the animalsâ&#x80&#x99 eyes.

Re: Animals engineered with pinpoint accuracy

Craig Campbell — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 03:24:27 -0000

Leviticus 19:19 also states... "Do not wear clothing woven from two different kinds of thread". I Do you think that means we have to all stop wearing poly-cotton shirts? The prohibition against mixing diverse animals or planting 2 types of seeds together under un-controlled conditions might be practical advice 2000 years ago given the state of science at that time, simply to prevent cross pollinating of two distinctive types of grain, for instance, to keep them from losing their distinctive qualities. It could have been a prohibition against mixing sheep with goats or other species that would result in neutered and therefore non-productive offspring. Some types of animals can combine like that but they produce sterile offspring. I don't believe that was an absolute prohibition against genetic science if it is beneficial to humanity although of course genetic modifications must be carefully done and tested to prevent harmful defects from arising.

Re: Animals engineered with pinpoint accuracy

Mart Mart — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 18:44:28 -0000

Leviticus 19:19
New International Version (NIV)
19 Ã¢â&#x82¬Å&#x93Ã¢â&#x82¬Ë&#x9cKeep my decrees.
Ã¢â&#x82¬Å&#x93Ã¢â&#x82¬Ë&#x9cDo not mate different kinds of animals.
Ã¢â&#x82¬Å&#x93Ã¢â&#x82¬Ë&#x9cDo not plant your field with two kinds of seed.

In other words God tells us not to mix the species, the first such mix was the fallen angels and women creating the wicked half breeds who were wiped out by the flood, these half breeds infect human kind as evil spirits/demons as their bodies were wiped out in the flood.

2 Peter 2
New International Version (NIV)
4 For if God did not spare angels when they sinned, but sent them to hell,[a] putting them in chains of darkness to be held for judgment; 5 if he did not spare the ancient world when he brought the flood on its ungodly people, but protected Noah, a preacher of righteousness, and seven others;

Matthew 24:37
New International Version (NIV)
37 As it was in the days of Noah, so it will be at the coming of the Son of Man.

At the end times these things are said to happen again, how much misery are these created creatues going to bring to the living plants/animal/humans remains to be but one thing that is true and that is the demons have polluted and destroyed many people so that they are only fit for hell!

Re: Animals engineered with pinpoint accuracy

David Tyler — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 04:47:25 -0000

It is worth being up-front about all the issues related to GM. In this particular case, the research paper has this paragraph (in the discussion):
"In contrast to our mouse model in which we did not observe any obvious phenotypic anomalies, a phenotype was observed in the transgenic calf, which was born without a tail. Taillessness in cattle is a rare congenital abnormality, and has been previously reported as a phenotype in a transgenic calf produced from a microinjected, cloned embryo. A similar tail phenotype was observed in a cloned mouse and was shown to be caused by a mutation in this individual donor cell that was below the detection limit for chromosomal abnormalities and unmasked by cloning. Thus, it appears unlikely that the tailless phenotype of the calf is correlated with the transgene insertion, but rather with an unrelated mutation present in the donor cell used for NT. Further characterization of this transgenic cattle line will be required to clarify the cause for the taillessness in the miRNA 6-4 calf."
That last sentence is important. It is probably wise not to start campaigning for commercialisation until anomalies like this are clarified.

Re: Animals engineered with pinpoint accuracy

Michael Chisnall — Wed, 03 Oct 2012 01:40:07 -0000

Here in New Zealand the fruitloops are already out. One well-known anti-GE campaigner has come out complaining that the hypoallergenic cow resulted from "manipulating its lifeforce"!